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After coming excruciatingly near the brink of collapse twice in the last 16 months, remaining Big 12 members appear to be developing ideas aimed to help them survive into an uncertain future.

The conference's board of directors conducted a wide-ranging teleconference Thursday on the future of the league as Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe negotiated a “mutual agreement” with the conference to leave his job immediately.

Beebe will be replaced on an interim basis by 79-year-old former Big Eight commissioner Chuck Neinas, one of the most widely respected insiders in college football.

The change in leadership will be bolstered by several administrative moves that are geared to keeping the remaining members together — even as Texas A&M continues its bid to join the Southeastern Conference.

The nine remaining schools are reportedly working toward a binding six-year agreement that would force departing schools to turn television money from their Tier I (ABC games) and Tier II (ESPN and Fox games) back to the conference if they left.

“I think that grant-in rights are essential,” Oklahoma president David Boren said. “These are strong handcuffs. If you talk about one item that proves that we will be stable, that's it.”

The conference also reactivated its expansion committee with an idea to add future members perhaps as soon as next year.

Although the Big 12's board didn't identify specific targets, such schools as BYU, TCU and Louisville have been prominently mentioned when the conference decides to add teams.

Earlier this week, several schools were close to leaving the league before the Pac-12 Conference decided not to expand.

Boren and the Sooners were one of the driving elements of that push, along with Texas, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. Despite their near-defections, Boren is convinced the Big 12's future is stronger by remaining together.

OU football coach Bob Stoops wanted to remain in the Big 12 after making eight trips to BCS bowls in the past 12 seasons. Staying in the conference will make it easier for fans and family members to follow the Sooners and other Big 12 teams across the conference, Stoops said.

“My view is narrow, but we have five schools in the top 20 (in football),” he said. “The way it's been structured has been good for football and all of the teams. This is the best position to be in.”

The show of unity appears to have settled the immediate concerns of Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State and Baylor. All of them were facing uncertain futures if the other schools left.

“I think without demeaning others, there were a lot of worried institutions and a great deal of concern,” Boren said. “We didn't sing ‘Kumbaya' at the end of the meeting today, but there might have been a spirit of it. There was a real sense of happiness at the end of the meeting.”

One reason might be that the schools are coming closer to the concept of approving Tier I revenue sharing, which was one of the biggest goals of Beebe and former Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg before him.

In the past, teams that played more of these televised games were able to keep a larger slice of that revenue than schools that didn't appear in those top games as often.

The Big 12 board took no action on the Tier III rights generated by entities such as the Longhorn Network. That concept will be among items that will be considered by standing discussion committee.

Neinas has deep roots across the conference. Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds was his right-hand man working with the Big Eight in the mid-1970s.

Since retiring from running the old College Football Association, Neinas' executive search firm has been involved across college sports. His business helped in the hiring of OU athletic director Joe Castiglione twice — once with the Sooners and earlier at Missouri. He also helped OU find Stoops, UT lure Mack Brown and Missouri hook up with Gary Pinkel for their current jobs.

The notion of league stability was noted by A&M officials who still appear ready to leave in time to join the SEC next season.

“Another key to the Big 12's stability would be for the league to assist Texas A&M with its departure,” A&M spokesman Jason Cook said.

Boren said A&M president R. Bowen Loftin voted on several items during Thursday's teleconference, but he still expects them to leave for the SEC.

“We will not give up on trying to convince A&M to stay until the league documents have been signed,” Boren said. “I think it's highly likely they'll go to the SEC. They are so far down the line that they are unlikely to change their minds.”